The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
"It's an economic slam dunk." Rewiring CEO Mike Casey joins RNZ's The Panel to talk solar - and solar subsidies.
The Government has done some good work with solar on farms, and EECA is also to be commended for its work raising awareness of the benefits of solar at a household level, but we reckon much more could be done to help out residential customers. That was what Energy Minister Simon Watts asked for last year, and that work was what Kirsty Johnston explored in her excellent piece.
We don’t necessarily need subsidies, although subsidies definitely speed things up and create industries and jobs. We need access to finance.
Our research shows that 75% of people want to electrify their homes and the upfront cost is the major barrier. But when you can reduce the cost of your monthly energy subscription straight away, that's not a cost, that's an investment.
So far, 18 councils have supported the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, which could save homes with solar around $1,000 a year, including loan repayments. We now need the Government's support and a small investment and that's why we are trying to add the RAS to the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill going through Parliament now.
There are now around 80,000 New Zealand homes with solar and install rates are growing at record levels. But over four million homes in Australia have solar installed - over 40% of all homes - and there have been over 250,000 batteries installed as part of a subsidy scheme.
For those who think we don't get enough sun, New Zealand has about the same solar yield as Victoria and it has 30% adoption rates. Germany's is lower, but solar is surging over there and in many other European countries.
It's a no brainer for anyone who can pay upfront or add it to the mortgage, because solar is now so much cheaper than grid electricity (and recent research suggests it will also increase the value of your home when it comes time to sell).
One quirk of human behaviour that we often see is that people tend to focus on the difference in their bills before and after solar. They might forget that they had to pay upfront to access those savings, but as the price of electricity, gas and petrol goes up, that gap gets bigger.
'Twas the night before Chris-mas, and all through the house, all the voters were stirring, the pundits showing their nous … the election will soon be over, but the energy crisis won't, so we'll be there to pester whoever is in power about the need to run more of the economy on New Zealand-made energy; can Ethiopia's aggressive push for EVs work and how does New Zealand compare in terms of adoption rates?; a two-way charging trial from Genesis shows promise in Auckland, but there's still a way to go before it's mainstream; small electric vehicles are often overlooked when it comes to electrifying transport, but it's hard to miss this weird French one; a solar-powered cafe (and some electric coffee); and we endorse the political vandalism of Keith of All Trades.
Read moreDownloadPoliticians are being urged to adopt stronger electric vehicle incentives ahead of the election. Climate and energy advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa is arguing that EVs are one of the most effective long-term solutions for rising transport and energy costs. They're promoting an EV Salary Boost proposal, which would allow workers to access EVs through pre-tax salary arrangements – similarly to already existing schemes in the UK and Australia. Policy and Government Relations Spokesperson Ngaio Neumegen told Kerre Woodham that even with the rising cost of power, it's still cheaper to run an EV than a car running on imported fuel.
A proposal that would let New Zealanders lease an electric car using their before-tax pay has not won a commitment from either National or Labour, with the 7 November election days away. Under the EV Salary Boost, put forward by Rewiring Aotearoa and Drive Electric, an employee would lease a new or used EV for three to five years. The payments would come out of their pay before tax, lowering the cost of running the car. The idea is based on Australia’s novated leasing system, though the groups say they are not proposing a direct copy.
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